Not an Advertisement

"So, I believe Cola, this brand-new drink, has tremendous promotional value. I'm willing to use the front page of the Daily Priest to publish an advertisement about Cola."

The more Oriana spoke, the more excited she became. She had been completely won over by Cola's charm. At the time, she and Baron Good had immediately spent money to buy five bottles each to take home, and Warren had also decided on the spot to increase his order from Antoine. This magical drink, Cola, had swiftly captured their hearts.

"Wait a moment, Ms. Oriana. Why are you doing this?"

Rainer interrupted Oriana. He knew there was no such thing as a free lunch. If the other party was offering him publicity, she would naturally need some form of return, so he asked.

"Actually, it's like this."

Oriana's expression turned ugly. She honestly told Rainer about the situation her newspaper had fallen into, briefly and concisely, with rather the feel of a news bulletin.

"I believe everyone will be interested in a new thing like Cola, as well as the story behind it, thereby boosting newspaper sales."

Her thinking was perfectly normal. A drink like Cola was bound to become popular. When that happened, people would become interested in the maker of Cola. There had been several past promotions for new products just like this, and the results had been quite good.

"Mm, that makes sense."

Claire nodded. Judging from Oriana's reaction, Cola was indeed a likable drink. In that case, as long as it was promoted through proper methods, selling well would not be a problem. And even though the Daily Priest had been impacted by emerging newspapers, it still had a large number of loyal readers and could play an effective promotional role.

Rainer also sank into thought. Oriana was a ready-made promotional channel delivered right to his door, but could simple interviews and character biographies really promote Cola?

"Forgive me for being blunt, Ms. Oriana. I think we can absolutely work together, but I'd like to hear the specific details, such as how you plan to promote Cola."

"Oh, this is a good one. We draw an advertising poster: a handsome young man holding Cola and drinking heartily, then add large lettering. How about that?"

Oriana said with great enthusiasm, making Claire gasp in admiration and unable to resist wanting to clap.

But Rainer's face darkened.

This ad is way too blunt, he complained inwardly. If ordinary readers saw an advertisement for some new thing they had never encountered before, they would probably unsubscribe from the newspaper on the spot.

"Ms. Oriana, did you just come up with that plan?"

Rainer asked, but Oriana shook her head.

"I've been mulling over this plan for a long time. Isn't it excellent?"

"It's truly wonderful, Ms. Oriana! It makes people eager to try it!"

Claire cried, as if victory were already within reach.

"Please wait a moment, you two. Sorry to interrupt your exchange, but I think this plan is completely unworkable."

Rainer's words were like a basin of cold water dumped over Oriana's head. At the publishing house, no one dared to question this strong-willed woman's opinions, but this headmaster had nearly made her explode with just one sentence. However, considering her own situation, she suppressed the urge to question him and asked in as gentle a tone as possible.

"Headmaster Ian Gray, may I ask where you think the problem with this plan lies?"

"Mm, this advertisement is very eye-catching, but it's also far too obvious. It will affect people's overall impression of your newspaper. People always tend to avoid the content that merchants want customers to see. Simply put, when they think something is an advertisement, the effectiveness of the promotion drops sharply."

Rainer explained using simple, easy-to-understand marketing concepts from his previous life. At first, Oriana was somewhat lost in the clouds and fog, but as the conversation continued, she seemed to vaguely understand something.

"If we use this model, Cola may indeed receive publicity, but the reputation of the Daily Priest will also be ruined. People will think it's a newspaper where anything can make the front page as long as you pay enough, and they'll lose confidence in it."

Hearing this, Oriana was completely speechless.

Because Rainer had not only considered the promotion of Cola, but had also taken into account the crisis-stricken Daily Priest. This meticulous and thoughtful line of thinking made even her, the editor-in-chief, feel inferior.

"We can't let people think it's an advertisement, but we still have to achieve the goal of promotion. How could that possibly be done?"

Claire's face was full of question marks as she looked at Rainer.

"Of course there's a way. If you want readers to feel that what they're reading isn't an advertisement, then first of all, you can't make it take the form of an advertisement. You need to use another medium to carry the promotional function."

Rainer shrugged. Several classic marketing plans from Earth had already appeared in his mind, but to apply them in this world, they would still need some magical modification, so he asked.

"For example, hmm, Ms. Oriana, in the story you told just now, Baron Good was a gourmet?"

"Uh, yes. When Baron Good was young, he traveled across the continent and tasted delicacies from many places. His own cooking skills are also quite good, and he's very famous in Priest."

Oriana answered according to her memory, not knowing what significance Rainer's questions had.

"Then could we perhaps find a writer and write a food-themed serial with Baron Good as the protagonist?"

Rainer's words raised questions for the two ladies. They couldn't keep up with Rainer's train of thought and had no idea what he meant.

Serials were not uncommon in this world. In fact, the Daily Priest published a cliché adventure story every Thursday, while its competitors preferred serializing erotic stories to attract attention.

"What do you mean? Have Baron Good evaluate Cola?"

Oriana guessed. She was still stuck on the idea of having Baron Good write food reviews and mention Cola in passing, only to see Rainer shake his head.

"Imagine this: Baron Good, dressed in formalwear, wanders alone through the streets and alleys of Priest, searching for hidden, unknown delicacies. Accompanying this solitary gourmet is only that bottle of refreshing Cola after each meal. Amid the bustling night scenery, he gains a moment of peace. Would such a story attract people?"

Rainer's description drew Claire into her imagination. A middle-aged man walked through the noisy, complicated crowd, yet focused only on searching for good food. After enjoying all sorts of delicacies, he then drank a bottle of chilled Cola. That was simply pure enjoyment!

Oriana was also somewhat dazed. She was a native of Priest, so naturally she also knew of many restaurants hidden in the city's streets and alleys. Each of these restaurants had its own unique story, paired with distinctive cuisine, making them fascinating. The public would definitely like a serial like this!

Almost as Rainer narrated, she had already come up with several ideas. Inspiration gushed out like spring water, and Oriana wished she could immediately find a sheet of paper and start writing.

"Wait, what should this serial be called?"

She suddenly thought of this and looked at Rainer.

The headmaster smiled faintly and spoke.

"How about calling it The Solitary Gourmet?"